HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017/01/03 - ADMIN - Minutes - City Council - Study SessionAllSt. Louis Park OFFICIAL MINUTES
M I N N E S 0 T A CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL STUDY SESSION
ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA
JANUARY 3, 2017
The meeting convened at 7:00 p.m
Councilmembers present: Mayor Jake Spano, Tim Brausen, Steve Hallfin, Gregg Lindberg,
Anne Mavity, Thom Miller, and Susan Sanger.
Staff present: City Manager (Mr. Harmening), Deputy City Manager/Human Resources Director
(Ms. Deno), and Recording Secretary (Ms. Pappas).
Guest: None
1. Updated Draft 2017 Legislative Agenda
Mr. Harmening noted the 2017 legislative agenda priorities. The 22 issues identified are broken
out into four subject areas: Transportation, Community Development, Public Safety, and
General. Mr. Harmening stated there are also additional items the council had requested to be
added, and he asked for feedback from the council.
Councilmember Sanger noted that information on Water Treatment Plant #4 needed to be
updated. She proposed that rank choice voting be added to the list, adding that schools were not
allowed to use this type of voting and that is the reason the city did not adopt it. Additionally, she
asked that funding for SWLRT be added as a high priority, as well as planning and analysis on
autonomous vehicles and how that will affect the economy.
Councilmember Mavity added that the SWLRT item may not be a priority since there is a path to
getting this funded outside of the legislature. She stated she is not sure the city's lobbyist should
spend time on this issue.
Councilmember Sanger added she just wants the elected officials to know the city has this as a
priority.
Councilmember Mavity noted. the TIF district changes should be presented as technical
corrections versus listing it as a TIF reform. She added this will need to be framed in this way.
Councilmember Brausen stated he is fine with the list provided by staff. Councilmembers
Hallfin, Miller, and Lindberg indicated they were also agreeable with the list provided by staff.
Mayor Spann added the topic on autonomous vehicle funding is fine, and it is also fine to raise
the SWLRT issue. However, he clarified that the council's issues with rank choice voting were
not only because the school district cannot utilize this voting method. Mayor Spano added there
is nothing on the list about race equity, nor was there anything on affordable housing.
Communications/Meeting Check -In (Verbal)
Councilmember Miller stated the idea of crisis planning for incidents that might happen in the
city due to racial tension is another topic that he would like to address, especially as it relates to
communication issues. He added the broader concept is how the police are interacting with the
public and what the city does if a crisis occurs. Councilmember Miller added with the new police
Special Study Session Minutes -2- January 3, 2017
chief staring soon, the city needs to be proactive on this issue. He asked for comments from other
councilmembers.
Mayor Spano agreed and said he has been talking with Mr. Harmening about this issue and also
about doing some police training related to this.
Mr. Harmening added that the Police Department has worked on scenarios and difficult
interactions that officers may face in the city. He added it would be good to review how the
council would respond in a crisis situation; practices of other cities; best approaches; and
preparedness when something happens.
Councilmember Mavity added how the internal plan is communicated to the community is of
concern. She asked staff if the city is communicating this information well enough to the
community and also if they are only planning for when a crisis occurs or communicating the
city's whole approach.
Councilmember Miller stated crises will occur, and the city will need to be proactive and
respectful of the community in communicating.
Councilmember Lindberg agreed this conversation needs to happen sooner rather than later, even
prior to the start date of the new police chief, and he proposed it to be part of the January
workshop. He added, as a team of elected officials, the council needs a good strategy and to
respond with a unified voice.
Councilmember Sanger asked also to discuss a plan for council in the event a council meeting
has large numbers of disruptive people in attendance, including best practices for conducting the
meeting.
The meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m.
Melissa lennedy, Lity Clerk 4e
Sp o ayor